Switching device for the setting of crossbar switches by means of markers



Jan. 29, 1952 Filed May 23, 1947 K. G. JOHNSON 2,583,848 SWITCHING DEVICE FOR THE SETTING OF CROSSBAR SWITCHES BY MEANS OF MARKERS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 SNR REG

SA m $8 I I GA REG I R82 E 6 Fig.7 9

INVJEN'IOR KFSRL GE 6 JOHNSON J XTTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1952 K. SWITCHING DEVICE F JOHNSON OR THE SETTING OF CROSSBAR SWITCHES BY MEANS OF MARKERS Filed May 23, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

K RL e oRs uoamsoN Jan. 29, 1952 K. G. JOHNSON SWITCHING DEVICE FOR THE SETTING OF CROSSBAR SWITCHES BY MEANS OF MARKERS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 23, 1947 INVENTCR KARL GBORG JOHNSON r J ST TORNE Y6 Jan. 29, 1952 K. (3. JOHNSON 2,583,848 SWITCHING DEVICE FOR THE SETTING OF CROSSBAR SWITCHES BY MEANS OF MARKERS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 23, 1947 INVENTOR KARL GEORG JOHNSON BY Q fiTTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1952 JOHNSON 2,583,848

K. G. SWITCHING DEVICE FOR THE SETTING OF CROSSBAR SWITCHES BY MEANS OF MARKERS Filed May 23, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 P04 P85 F796 PAD PAT P172 PA3 P144 PAS PAS PA7 3ZA8 lNvasNToR" [KARL GEORG JOHNSON BY QAQM :BTTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1952 JOHNSON 2,583,848

SWITCHING DEVICE FOR THE SETTING OF CROSSBAR SWITCHES BY MEANS OF MARKERS Filed May 23, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 4 PCS PC6 P67 PC8 PC] PC2 PC3 REG 10 REG 7 JNVEN TOR KPXRL GEORG JOHNSON ATTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1952 K. G. JOHNSON 2,583,343

SWITCHING DEVICE FOR THE SETTING OF CROSSBAR SWITCHES BY MEANS OF MARKERS Filed May 23, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Fl F2 F3 Fig. 8

INVENTOR FA KA L GEQRG JOHN$QN BY,Q

RTTORNEYS Patented Jan. 29, 1 952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCHING DEVICE FOR THE SETTING F CROSSBAR MARKERS SWITCHES BY MEANS OF 3 Claims. (Cl. 179-22) Within automatic telephone systems with cross bar switches communications are often set up by the aid of indicatin devices, so called markers. Usually there is only one marker in each exchange and only one communication at a time can be set up. By dividing the marker into units, each dealing with the switching operation within only one selection stage, it may be achieved that communications passing through completely different selection stages, may be set up independent of each other. The switching operations within an automatic exchange are divided into definite steps, e. g. the connection of a subscriber's line to a register, the connection of an incoming junction line to a register, the connection of a called subscribers line with a subscribers line connected to a register and so on. The marker or its different parts must not be kept busy unnecessarily. If a fault arises at the connection of a communication, the communication can not be locked until the fault has been observed and remedied by the employees of the exchange, but the marker must immediately release the faulty communication and possibly try to setup another.

The present invention has for its purpose part-- ly to change connections, which are coming across a faulty operating bar in a cross bar switch, to another operating bar for cross bar switches in the same selection stage, partly to register dates, by the aid of which faults may be localized.

This is achieved in automatic telephone exchanges with cross bar switches and markers in such a way that a test circuit for each operating her, over which a communication selected for setting may be established through a selection stage, is connected by the marker to an especial relay device for the selection stage. This device selects a free operating bar for the communication and is connected together with the corresponding relay device for another selection stage, over which the communication may be conducted later on, by the last mentioned relay device hemg provided with a time device, which is connected when a free operating bar has been selected by the first mentioned relay device. It is again disconnected without having acted upon the setting of the communication, when a free operating bar is selected by the relay device, to which the time device pertains, and which, if actuated, closes a circuit by means of a relay in the first mentioned relay device, thereby causing this to release the operating bar selected in the first selection stage. and to select another operating bar for the setting of the communication.

By arranging theselection of a free operating bar in a first selection stage in a known manner, so that only one operating bar, which can reach at least one free operating bar in the next selection stage, may be selected, the time device in the latter selection stage, if actuated, will always indicate a fault, whereby circuits may be arranged from the relay device of the first selection stage to a registering device, so set, that the operating bar selected in the first selection stage, when the time device of the next selection stage was actuated, will be indicated; The invention will be described more closely with reference to the annexed drawings, Figs. 1-9;

Fig; 1 shows the connection paths within an automatic exchange with cross bar switches.

Fig. 2 shows the principle for the connection of the operatin bars of a cross bar switch in a connection pathrunning from a subscribers line L to a register REG.

Fig. 3 shows the part of the marker which selects acertain calling subscribers line for connefction to a register. v

Fig. 4 shows the switching devices for primary and secondary selectors connecting the subscribers lines Ii to the intermediate lines M in. Fig.1.

Fig. 5 shows switching devices for those pridiary and secondary selectors which connect the intermediate lines M to the registers REG in Fig. 1. r I Fig. 6 shows the relay devices for selection of a free operating bar among the primary and secondary selectors in Fig. 4. V r

Fig 7 shows the relay devices for selection of a free operating bar among the primary and sec oridary selectors in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 shows connection relays and registering devices for a trouble indicator. y Fig. 9 shows how the drawings, Figs 3-8, should be Y assembled.

InFig. 1 si re pnmary, and SB secondary selectors for connection of the lines L with the intermediate lines The intermediate lines M as well as the junction lines F are connected together with the registersREG over the primary selectors RA and the secondary selectors RB. Group selections are; arranged from the intermediate lines into the lines L and F by means of the primary selectors GA and the secondary selectors GB.

I Local calls -e ehncieaevr two primary selectors GA, of which; oneis connected with a connecting link SNR being connected to the secbar in the selectors RBI-RB2.

. bar switch SAI.

ondary selectors GB. The following connection paths occur in an exchange according to Fig. l.

(a) From the lines L over SA and SB to M, from M over RA and RB to REG. This switching operation will be described more closely later on and is controlled by the routing relay MRI in Fig. 3.

(b) From the lines F over RA and RB to REG. This switching operation is controlled by the routing relay MR4 in Fig. .3.

(c) From the lines F under control of the registers REG over GB and GA, SB and SA to a called subscribers line L. l

(d) From the intermediate lines M under control of the registers REG over GA and GB to a connecting link SNR, from SNR over GA'to another intermediate line M and from this over SB and SA to a called subscriber's line L. V

The switching operations and (d) are both controlled by the routing relay MR2 in Fig. 3.

(c) From the intermediate lines M under control of the registers REG over GA and GB to the lines F. This switching operation is controlled by the routing relay MR5 in Fig. 3.

i Fig. 2 shows the connection between the operating bars in a primary cross bar switch SAI and the selecting bars in the secondary cross bar switches SBI--SBIO. Each operating bar in the secondary cross bar switches SBI-SBIB is connected to an intermediate line M, of which MI is shown in the figure, and to a selecting bar in a cross bar switch RA. Each of the operating bars in the selectors RA, of which only RAI is shown in the figure, is connected to its selecting Each register REG is connected to an operating bar in each of the cross bar switches RBI-RB2, all intermediate lines M thereby having access to all registers REG.

In Fig. 3 the relays LRILRIO are the line relaysfor l0 subscribers lines L, belonging each to their respective selecting bar ASI-ASIO in the cross bar switch SAI in Fig. 4. The relays LRI-LRID constitute a chain, in which only one relay at a time can be attracted. Here is supposed that a circuit for the relay LRIB is closed over the contacts lllI, II3, I23 and others and I03 to i.'e. the positive pole of the exchange battery. The remaining part of the circuit is unimportant for the invention. A group relay GRI-GRII) belongs to each cross These group relays as well as the relays LRI--LRIO are coupled in a chain, in which only one relay at-a time can be attracted. When relay LRIU attracts its armature, contacts Nil-I06 are actuated. The circuits of the relays LRI, LR2 a. s. o. are broken by the contact I03. Relay LRIIl is self-held over contact I02. The following circuit'is completed: winding on relay MRI, contacts 46, 5I, 53, 203 and others, 223, 2I3, 2I I, winding on relay GRI, contact I04, to negative, which is the negative pole of the exchange battery. Relays MRI and GRI attract their armatures. Contacts 4I--44 and 2Il-2I5 are actuated. Contact 2I3 breaks the make-circuits of the relays GR2- that primary selection stage, to which selector assams SAI pertains, and PBIPB8 of that secondary selection stage, to which selectors SBI-SBIO pertain, with the relay device PCI-PC8 for that selection stage, to which selector RAI belongs. If one of the relays MR2, MR4 or MR5 has become energized and attracted its armature which occurs in a similar way as for relay MRI, other relays corresponding to relay AAG, would have been actuated over wires C2C'I. The switching operation, which is indicated under ((1) above and controlled by relay MR2, may be divided into two parts, viz. the connection of an intermediate line M over a link circuit SNR with another intermediate line M and the connection of last mentioned intermediate line M with a called subscribers line. During the latter part of the switching operation the relay devices of the selection stages GA and GB are not necessary and thus they may be released. This is marked over wire C2 by actuation of relay MR3, which by means of contact 50 interrupts the circuit over wire C4. At the same time contact 59 is closed and thus the connections indicated under (e) above and corresponding to relay MR5 may be efiected, though the latter part of the switching operation corresponding to relay MR2 hasnot yet been finished. Contact 58 bridges contact 54 during said latter part of the switching operation. a

When relay GRI attracts its armature the following circuits are completed: contacts 2 I4 and IE5, wire 1;, winding on relay SKRI, to negative, and: -l-, contacts 205 and I05, wire a, winding on the selecting magnet of the selecting bar ASI, to negative. Said selecting magnet and relay SKRI attract their armatures. Contacts II-I'I are closed and the contact spring sets of the selecting bar ASI are indicated in the operating bars AI-AIO.

Each of the operating bars AI-AIO is connected with its selecting bar BSI, BSII in Fig. 4 over links mI-mlll, which are also indicated in Fig. 2. Each selecting bar BSI, resp. BSI I, has access to 10 operating bars BI-BIO and. BI I- B20, respectively, each connected over its intermediate line MI-.-MIO and MIIM20, respectively, to a selecting bar MS I-MSIO in a selector RA. As appears 'from Fig. 2 all, selecting bars ASI--ASIO may be connected to all intermediate lines M. Eachof the operating bars NI-NIO in the selector RAI in Fig. 5 is connected together to its selecting bar RSIRSIO in the selector RBI over links mImI0, which are also indicated in Fig. 2. Each operating magnet has a contact 5IJI500 ,5II5I0 and 52I-520, respectively, over which a test circuit for selection of a free operating bar is brought. To enable selections by means of many selection stages to occur simultaneously these contacts are so connected as is shown in Fig. 4-5. Contact 50I is connected over the rectifiers eI-eII to contacts 5I I5I0, which in their turn are connected together over contacts 62 and 64, respectively, on relay AAI in Fig. 5. Relay AAI is energized over wire (12 by contact 9| on relay AAG in Fig. 7 and attracts its armature when relay AAG is actuated. For each cross bar switch RA there is a relay corresponding to AAI. Relay AAI belongs to selector RAI Due to this the test wires of all free intermediate lines MI-M20 will be connected to a common conductor 013, over con- 'tacts 53l--53l3 of the operating bars NI-NIII in the cross bar switch RAl resp. over corresponding contacts in remaining selectors RA, and over break contacts I5 and TI, respectivelyyin the 5 relays AB, among which onlyrelay ABI pertaining to selector RBI, is shown in Fig. 5. In this manner another test circuit arises over contact 500, the rectifiers eII--e20, contacts 52I 520, the contacts on relays AAIO and AB2, not shown in the figure, to wire All test circuits described above are on one side over contacts I3 resp. ii on relay SKRI connected to a relay each, PA3 and PM), respectively, in a relay device PA!l-PA8 in Fig. 6, common to the selectors RA, and on the other side over wire d3 connected to a relay device RVIRVIIJ in Fig. 7. When relay SKRI attracts its armature, the following circuits will arise: contact I4, wire dl, contacts 352 and others, 332 and 3I2, 304, wire r9, contact EMS in Fig. 8, wire T8, the circuits connected in parallel over contacts 334-454, windings on relays PAS-FAB, contacts 323-343, I3-I'I, 59I-5ii9, rectifiers el-eIIl and eI I-eZII, respectively, contacts 5I I-5I0 and 52I-52Il, respectively, 62 and 64 and others, and I1 and others, wire (13, contacts H 3-103, the circuits connected in parallel over contacts II I-lfll, windings on relays RVIRVIO to negative in those registers REGi-REGIB, which are free. One of the relays PA3--PA5, e. g. PAS, and one of the relays RVI-RVIO, e. g. RVI, attract their armatures. Contacts 35I35'i and II I-'il4 are actuated. The following circuit is completed: winding on relay PA8, contacts 351 and II, winding on the magnet of the operating bar AI, to negative. Relay PA8 and. the magnet of operatin bar AI attract their armatures. Contacts 38I-384 and 5% are actuated. Relay PA5 is however self-held in the following circuit: contact I4, wide all, contact 353, winding on relay PA5, contacts 343 and 3-55, winding on relay PAB to negative. Relay PAS is so adjusted that it can not work parallelly with relay RVI, but attracts its armature when contact 51H breaks, Thus contacts Mil-354 are actuated. Furthermore the following circuit is completed: winding on relay PAI, contacts 356 and I2, winding on the magnet of the selecting bar BS1, to negative. Relay PA! and the magnet of the selecting bar BS1 attract their armatures. Contacts 3'II-3l4 and 2'! are actuated.

When the magnet of the operating bar AI attracts its armature, the selecting bar BS? is connected over link mI to the calling line L. Relay PA8 controls that the circuit of magnet to the operating bar Al was complete and relayPAli controls that the magnet also attracts its armature. Relay PAl controls that the circuit of the magnet to the selecting bar BS1 is complete. When contact 2? is closed relay SLI attracts its armature and contacts 2I25 close. Thus the operating magnets in the selector SBI are connected to the relay device PBI-PB8, which is common to all cross bar switches SE. The following circuits are completed: contact 54, wire til, contacts 52 and others, 432 and 4, wire H2, contact 805 in Fig. 8, wire N3 the circuits connected in parallel over the rectifiers e3l3ll, contacts 434-458, windings on relays PB3PB5, contacts 424444 and 23-26, and 5! I5ill, the connected contacts 52-454 and 'I5'l7, the contacts 53I-53fi connected in parallel, wire d3, contact H2, winding on relay RVI, to negative in the register REGI. One of the relays PB3-PB5, e. g. PB3, attracts its armature. Contacts 43I-43? are actuated.

The rectifiers eI-e prevent that a possible earth fault on one of the connectedcontacts acts 6 upon the relay chain PA3-PA5. The rectifiers e3I--e3ll have the same object, however for the relay chain PB3-PB5.

When contacts 436 and 43! close, there is formed partly a circuit through windings on rela PB8 and the magnet to operating bar BIO, partly a circuit through a winding on relay PB! over contacts 435, 25 and 52 and the winding on the magnet to operating bar MSIB. Relays PB'l and PBS and the magnets of the operating bar MSII] attract their armatures. The links mI is connected to the intermediate line mID. Contacts 4II4'I4, 48I484, 5H) and 66 are actuated. When contact 5m breaks, relay PBS attracts its armature in the following circuit; contact I4, wire dI, contacts 452 and others, contact 433, winding on relay PB3, contacts424 and 435, winding on relay PBS, to negative. Contacts 45I-464 are actuated. When contact 55 closes, relay ABI attracts its armature. Contacts 10-48 are actuated. The circuits of the relays PA5 and P133 are kept closed over contact l5 and resistance K, contacts 15 and I1 having been actuated. The following circuit is completed: contacts 35, 652 and others, 632 and 5I2, the circuits connected in parallel over contacts 634-654, windings on relays PC3-PC5, contacts i5 and Ii! and others, 53I53!l, wire d3, contact H2, winding on relay RVI, to negative in register REGI. One of the relays PC3-PC5, e. g. PCS, attracts its armature. Contacts 55I-55'i are actuated. Contacts 656 closes a circuit for relay PC! and the magnet of the operating bar NI over contact I4, and contact 65! closes a circuit for relay PCB and the magnet of the selecting bar RSI over contact 1|. Relays PC? and PCB and the magnets of the operating bar NI and the selecting bar RSI attract their armatures. The intermediate line MIG is thus connected o-ver link nl to selecting bar RSI and contacts 611-4512, Elli-6B2, 53I and 79 are actuated. The following circuit is completed: contact 79, winding on the magnet to operating bar RI, contact H4 to negative.

3 The magnet of the operating bar RI attracts its armature, whereby line L in Fig. 4 is connected over operating bar AI, link ml, operating bar BIl), intermediate line Mill, operating har NI, link nI and operating bar RI to register REGI. In the figures only one conductor is shown for talking wires and holding circuits in the connection between line L and register REGI, although in reality there are two speaking wires and a third conductor for holding of the connection. Over said third conductor are now held the magnets of the operating bars AI, BED, NI and RI by means of especial auxiliary windings, not shown on the drawings, and a cut-off relay pertaining to line L breaks the current of relay LRIU in Fig. 3, after which all relays LRII], GRI, MRI, SKRI, SLi, AAG, AA! and ABi ertaining to the marker and PA5-8, PB3,PB6-8, PC5--8 and RVI release their armatures.

As is mentioned above for relays PAH-PA8 the relays PAIi-PAB, PBS-P38 and PC6-4 08 are controlling the switching operation during the set-up of the communication. Relays PA8, P38 and PC! control that the circuit of the magnet of the selected operating bar is complete, relays PA'I, PB! and PCB control that circuit 11 for corresponding selecting magnet is complete while relays PAS, PEG and PCli control that the operating magnets attract their armatures.

If there is no free operating bar in one of the selection stages, e. g. contact SAL relay PAI attracts its armature in the following circuiti I4,

wire dl, contacts 352 and others, 332, 3I2 and 304, wire r9, contact 8 I 5, wire r8, contact 3 I 4, winding on relay PAI to negative. Contacts 3! I-3 M are actuated. Contact 3I2 interrupts the test and contact 3H connects to wire U for indication of busy condition. The continued course of events at busy condition is unimportant for this invention.

If one of the relays PA3 or PAS, e. g. PA5, attracts its armature, the circuit of the relay PAI is broken by contact 352 and the following circuit is completed: contact I4, contacts 363, 313, and 383 connected in parallel, contact 35I, winding on relay PA4, wire TIB, winding on relay PA in Fig. 8, to negative. The relays PA4 and FA as Well as relay PAI, as is described above, ar slowreleasing. If the operating bar, selected by operation of the relay PA5, is faultless, the relays PA6PA8 will attract their armatures and break contacts 363, 3l3 resp. 383. If, on the contrary, there is some fault, th circuit of the relays PA4 and FA are not broken, but these attract their armatures. Contacts 3 il343 and 8i I-&Iii are actuated. Relay FAQ is self-held over contact 342 and breaks the current of relay PA5, which releases its armature, so that the test circuit for the other relays, e. g. PA3, is again closed. If the operating bar Ail], connected to relay PAB, is free, relay PA3 attracts its armature and the switching operation continues according to the description above.

Contact 3 closes the following circuit: winding on the magnet of the selecting bar S23 in Fig. 8, wire r5, contact 3M, contact 8H), winding on relay FA, contact 33L to negative. The selecting bar S2fi pertains to a cross bar switch KI, which together with another cross bar switch K2, belongs to a trouble indicator used for registration of faults. The magnet of the selecting bar S26 attracts its armature. Contact 860 is closed. Simultaneously the magnet of the selecting bar SI in the cross bar switch K2 attracts its armature in the following circuit: contact 2M in Fig. 3, contact tilt, wire b, wire rl, contact 3I8 in Fig. 8, winding on the magnet for selecting bar SI, to negative. Contact 85! is closed and the magnet of the operating bar BFI attracts its armature in a circuit over contact Bil. Contacts 83I833 are actuated, the magnet of the operating bar BF3 attracts its armature, when contact 833 is closed, in the following circuit, which also serves for holding of the operating bar BFI push button T6, contact 833, windings on the magnets of the operating bars BFI and BF3. During above described switching operation also one of the relays F iFS has attracted its armature, as the contacts at I8I3 have been closed and none of the contacts 3tI, 31! or 33! has been broken. If relay F4 is supposed to attract its armature, contacts 32d, and 8'14 will be closed. Relay F4 is self-held over contact 8%. The lamp LI is lighted over contact 874 and indicates that there is some fault.

, As appears from the description above the communication from the calling line L is changed from the faulty operating ba AI to operating bar AI by relay PAE being broken away by relay PA4. When contacts 83I832 have been actuated, relay FA in Fig. 8 releases, but the fault registration on the cross bar switches KI and K2 is held until the push button To is pressed. When one of the lamps LI-L3 is lighted, the fault is localized by pressing the push buttons TIT2. When a TI is pressed, two lamps among the lamps 'LIOLII are lighted. The lamp row LID-43H indicates that the fault is inthe selection stage SA, the lamp LII, that it is in the selector SAI, and lamp LIO, that the fault is in the operating bar AI. In order not to make one lamp per operating bar necessary, one can combine 20 lamps so, that LI ILIO are connected to one contact each on all the operating bars in the cross bar switch K2 and the lamps L2 I-L20 to one contact each on all the operating bars in the cross bar switch K2 and the lamps L2 IL20 to one contact each on all the operating bars in the cross bar switch KI. The pressing of the button TI then indicates the selection stage SA, the lamp LII, selector SAI and lamp L2I in combination with LII the operating bar AI. The lamps LI ILIO, and L2I-L20, LI--L3 and TI-T2 and T0 pertain to a control place in the automatic exchange.

If now it is supposed that no fault is found in the selection stage SA, but a faulty operating bar is selected in the selection stage SB, e. g. by the relay PB3, relay PB2 will attract its armature due to current over contact 43L one of the contacts 463, 413 or 483, contact 363, wire (1! and contact I4 as is described above for relay PA4. Contacts 42I424 are actuated. Relay PB3 releases its armature. The relay FB in Fig. 8 attracts its armature and the fault is registered on the operating bars for cross bar switches BF2 and BF! and the relays FIF3 in accordance with the description above for relay FA. The wires 12 and r3 combine herewith the relays SLI and SL2 with the magnets of the selecting bars SISIO.

If it is further supposed that there is no other free and faultless operating bar in the selector SBI selected in the selection stage SA, the relay PBI will attract its armature in the following circuit: contact I4 in Fig. 4, wire all, contacts 452-4II, wire M2, contact 805, wire rl3, contact 4I3, winding on relay PBI, contacts 362, 312 and 382, to negative. Contact 805 is namely closed again when relay BB is released due to the fact that contacts B N-843 are actuated. By connecting negative to wire TI I over contact 842 the relay P32 is retained until the switching operation is finished, when+ from contact I4 on relay SKRI is switched away, while relay PE is caused to release its armature. Relay BI is slow-releasing and may be replaced by a time .device, e. g. a stepping relay or a thermocontact. Contacts AID-M3 are actuated. Relay PBI is self-held over contact 4I2. Contact 4H1 closes a circuit for relay PAI], which attracts its armature and is self-held over contacts 3M and 422. Contact 303 breaks the current of relay PBI, which again releases its armature. Contact 302 closes the following circuit: contact I4, wire dI, contacts 302 and 35L winding on relay PA4, wire rIIl, winding on relay FA, to negative. Relay PA4 attracts its armature. Contact 343 breaks the current of relay PA5, which releases its armature. Relays PA5--PA8 release their armatures. Contacts 362, 3'12 and 382 break the current of relay PBI which releases its armature. Contact 4I0 breaks the current of relay PAI], which releases its armature. Contact 394 is again closed. The relay chain PA3PA5 selects a new operating bar in the selector SA. Relay SLI releases its armature and a new selector SB, e. g. SBIO, is connected by relay SL2 to the relay device PBIPB8. The complete switching operation is thus remade from th very beginning on avoiding the operating bar AI which has proved not to be able to perform the communication.

The relay device PCI-PC8 works quite anologously to the relay device PBl-PBB in Fig. 6. Relay PCI is a time device, starting with current over contact 95, when negative is connected to wire 154 over contacts 462, 412 and 482, which proves that the selection in the selection stage SB has been completed faultlessly. At the same time the relay device PCl-PC8 should be connected over a relay AB in Fig. 5 to the operating bars in a selector RB, whereby one of the relays PC3--PC5 is to attract its armature and break the circuit of the relay PCI. If so does not occur or the circuit of the relay PC! is again closed upon actuation of one or more of the relays PC2-PC4, the relay PC! will attract its armature. Contacts fill-4H4 are closed. The following circuit is closed: contacts 61! and 93, wire t2, winding on relay PAO, to negative. Relay PAfl attracts its armature and is self-held over contact 3lll, wire t3, contact 94 and one of the contacts 62l-64l if one of the relays PC2-PC4 has attracted its armature. Relay PA!) breaks down the whole "connection as is de scribed above and a completely new communication is commenced, when all the relays in the relay devices FBI-PBS and PCI-P08 have released their armatures.

Th relay device PCI-PCB pertains to the last selection stage in a switching operation and is of course connected to the fault-indicating device according to Fig. 8 in the same manner as the relay devices PBI-PB8, although this is not indicated on the drawings. In Fig. 7 push button PK is shown, which is pressed if a great number of test connections through the automatic exchange is desired. When a communication is set up, the relays PC! and P08, attract, a circuit from over contacts 6H, 68L push button PK, contact 93 and wire t2 thus being formed for relay PAO, which attracts its armature and actuates the relay device PAl-PA8 so, that the connection is disconnected, a new one is set up over other connection paths. In this manner all operating bars for cross bar switches in the automatic exchange may be tested swiftly. If there is some fault this is marked on the lamps Ll--L3 and the cross bar switches KI and K2 in Fig. 8.

I claim:

1. In an automatic telephone system in combination, cross-bar switches, a plurality of selection stages connected in series, each of said selection stages having operating bars in said crossbar switches, an operating magnet with a break contact for each of said operating bars, a set of relays for each of said selection stages, test relays in each of said sets building a chain of relays connected for operation singly only, a first one of said selection stages, a trunk available CJI in a number of operating bars in said. first selection stage, a test circuit including said break contact for each operating bar in said first solestion stage, means connecting said test circuits to said test relays for said first selection stage by a call on said trunk, a second one of said selection stages, links connecting said operating bars in said first selection stage to said second selection stage, each of said links being available in a number of operating bars in said second selection stage, a test circuit including said break contact for each operating bar in slant econd selection stage, means connecting said. last men tioned test circuits to said test relays for said second selection stage when one operating bar in said first selection stage with the correspond ing link is selected by a test relay for said first selection stage, a time measuring device, contacts in the relay set for said first selection closing a circuit starting the timing operation of said time measuring device when an operating bar is selected by a test relay of said first selection stage, contacts in the relay set for said second selection stage breaking said circuit and preventing operation of said time measuring device when one of said test relays in said second selection stage operates, and means actuated by the expiration of a predetermining time interval fixed by said time measuring device, when operated, for releasing the operating bar selected in said first selection stage and causing selection oi another operating bar in said first selection stage.

2. An automatic telephone system as set forth in claim 1 comprising a trouble indicator, means actuated by said time measuring device at the end of said interval for connecting said relay set for said first selection stage to said trouble indicator, and contacts on said test relays for identifying the first selected operating bar in said first first selection stage with the set of relays for said second selection stage.

KARL GEORG JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,593,387 Clark July 20, 1926 1,659,083 Clark Feb. 14, 1928 

